On Remembrance Day
Author's Note

There is quite a story to go with this one. This started out as a little note I was going to give to my grandparents on Remebrance Day (November 11, Veteran’s Day in the US). When I gave it to my grandparents at the Remembrance Day service at their Legion they showed it around to people and the veterans and many other people were deeply touched by my writing. A whole chunk of the congregation of the church I attended at the time came out to the Remembrance Day service and the minister was so impressed by the poem that he asked if he could use it as part of his Remembrance Day sermon the next day. I was very honored.

Later, the president of the Legion asked my grandparents if they could have a copy of it to display in the Legion Hall. We had it enlarged and framed and I presented it to them at their general meeting. So there it is. A copy of this prose is hanging there for all the visitors to see. My grandparents are also submitting a copy of this poem to “Legion Magazine” which is published nation wide. If they decide to publish it my writing will have touched thousands of hearts.

The lesson I’ve learned through all of this is that it’s not enough just to feel good about someone in your life, thinking warm thoughts about them. We need to express our feelings to one another and tell people how we feel. Taking for granted that someone knows how you feel is a costly mistake. You lose out on a lot. Giving this little poem to my grandparents made so many people happy. Some of the comments I received from people who heard or read this poem I will remember for the rest of my life.

“This poem is what the Legion is all about,” the president of the Legion commented.

“You sure hit home with that poem,” another veteran said.

“If there were more people like you in this world the future would be in good hands,” another elderly gentleman told me. Wow! I didn’t know what to say. I was just glad that my writing had touched a few people’s hearts.

By far the greatest reward however, is that my grandparents feel toward me that sense of satisfaction and pride I wrote about. I am deeply grateful for their hearts as they served in the World War II, and I will always try to live my life in a way that honors their sacrifice.

Kevin Ranville